Use AutoCorrect to type really fast

Like most people, I also use Microsoft Word to write documentation, email, etc. and one of the features I use the most is AutoCorrect. Warning: Once you start using it, it can be hard to live without it.

AutoCorrect is simply a list of characters that will get replaced with other characters. It is the automatic "replace as you type" function, and it is commonly used to fix typical misspellings and create emoticons such as a smiley. For example, if you type in "your here" in Microsoft Word, it will automatically get expanded to a "you're here". To see the complete list, go to Tools->AutoCorrect Options in Microsoft Word. Note that AutoCorrect is language sensitive, so you have a different list for each language you compose messages in. This of course makes sense since you do not want to autocorrect abotu to about for Danish, but only for English.

But instead of using it to correct misspelled words, I use it to write longer words that I use over and over again. Below is a small sample of my own personal list.

Commonly used words and sentences:
sw=software
dev=develop
devn=development
anyq=Any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

You can also use AutoCorrect to write the correct capitalization of a given word or sentence. If you enter a word in lowercase in autocorrect, then Microsoft Word will automatically expand to the correct case. E.g. if you have a lowercase entry of sw for software, then sw will expand to software, and SW (in uppercase) will expand SOFTWARE, and Software if in the beginning of a sentence. Works pretty well. But if you always want to have SOFTWARE in uppercase since it may be a trademark name, etc, then all you have to enter is sw for SOFTWARE.

There are some words that you may want to autocorrect some of the times, but not all the times. The easiest way to handle this is to press undo (ALT-BACKSPACE or CTRL-Z) immediately after the expanding. So if you need to enter the address "123 SW MAIN ST", you want to press undo right after SW otherwise you'll send the letter to "123 SOFTWARE MAIN ST".

Lastly, note that you could also have an entry of uppercase SW. However, this means that SW is only expanded if you enter the uppercase SW. If you entered sw it would not get expanded.

I suggest you play around with it yourself. It is kind of like reading a book on riding a bicycle. It may get you an idea, but you'll not get the feel for it, until you jump on the bike yourself.

By the way, this entry was writing using 8 different AutoCorrect entries.

Nifty.